System for automatically generating electronic artifacts using extended functionality

ABSTRACT

A system is provided for automatically generating electronic artifacts using extended functionality. In particular, the system may use a template-based process to automatically generate artifacts based on a defined set of parameters and/or variables. The system may further use one or more plugins which may provide extended functionality with respect to the artifact generation process. Accordingly, the artifact generation process may include initializing a parameter list based on application parameters and/or plugin parameters, processing the parameters, generating variables based on the parameters, and replacing variables in scheme template files with appropriate values (e.g., user supplied or plugin generated values) to output an artifact file to a predetermined location. In this way, the system provides a robust and efficient way to automatically generate artifacts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure embraces a system for automatically generatingelectronic artifacts using extended functionality.

BACKGROUND

There is a need for a way to expediently and efficiently generateartifacts.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodimentsof the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of suchembodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of allcontemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key orcritical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any orall embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one ormore embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is presented later.

A system is provided for automatically generating electronic artifactsusing extended functionality. In particular, the system may use atemplate-based process to automatically generate artifacts based on adefined set of parameters and/or variables. The system may further useone or more plugins which may provide extended functionality withrespect to the artifact generation process. Accordingly, the artifactgeneration process may include initializing a parameter list based onapplication parameters and/or plugin parameters, processing theparameters, generating variables based on the parameters, and replacingvariables in scheme template files with appropriate values (e.g., usersupplied or plugin generated values) to output an artifact file to apredetermined location. In this way, the system provides a robust andefficient way to automatically generate artifacts.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system forautomatically generating electronic artifacts using extendedfunctionality. The system may comprise a memory device withcomputer-readable program code stored thereon; a communication device;and a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device and thecommunication device, wherein the processing device is configured toexecute the computer-readable program code to execute a parameterinitialization process, the parameter initialization process comprising:reading one or more parameters from one or more properties files; andgenerating a parameter list comprising the one or more parameters;execute a parameter-based variable generation process, theparameter-based variable generation process comprising, based on the oneor more parameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; execute a plugin-based variable generation process, theplugin-based variable generation process comprising: loading one or moreplugins into the memory device, the one or more plugins comprising oneor more plugin variables; and appending the one or more plugin variablesto the variable pool; and based on the parameter list and variable pool,initiate an artifact generation process.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation process comprises loading atemplate file into the memory device; detecting one or more variablenames within the template file; correlating the one or more variablesnames with the one or more variables in the variable pool; replacing theone or more variable names with the one or more values associated withthe one or more variables; and generating an artifact based on thetemplate file.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more command line parameters from a commandline; and appending the one or more command line parameters to theparameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more default preset system parameters from oneor more configuration files; and appending the one or more defaultpreset system parameters to the parameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting an unset value for a variable of the one or morevariables; and setting a default preset value for the variable.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting conditional logic within a template file; andgenerate a variable according to the conditional logic.

In some embodiments, the one or more variables comprises at least one ofa table name, table description, column descriptions, and column types.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer programproduct for automatically generating electronic artifacts using extendedfunctionality. The computer program product may comprise at least onenon-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable programcode portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program codeportions comprising executable code portions for executing a parameterinitialization process, the parameter initialization process comprising:reading one or more parameters from one or more properties files; andgenerating a parameter list comprising the one or more parameters;executing a parameter-based variable generation process, theparameter-based variable generation process comprising, based on the oneor more parameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; executing a plugin-based variable generation process, theplugin-based variable generation process comprising: loading one or moreplugins into a memory device, the one or more plugins comprising one ormore plugin variables; and appending the one or more plugin variables tothe variable pool; and based on the parameter list and variable pool,initiating an artifact generation process.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation process comprises loading atemplate file into the memory device; detecting one or more variablenames within the template file; correlating the one or more variablesnames with the one or more variables in the variable pool; replacing theone or more variable names with the one or more values associated withthe one or more variables; and generating an artifact based on thetemplate file.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more command line parameters from a commandline; and appending the one or more command line parameters to theparameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more default preset system parameters from oneor more configuration files; and appending the one or more defaultpreset system parameters to the parameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting an unset value for a variable of the one or morevariables; and setting a default preset value for the variable.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting conditional logic within a template file; andgenerate a variable according to the conditional logic.

Embodiments from the present disclosure also provide acomputer-implemented method for automatically generating electronicartifacts using extended functionality, wherein the computer-implementedmethod comprises executing a parameter initialization process, theparameter initialization process comprising: reading one or moreparameters from one or more properties files; and generating a parameterlist comprising the one or more parameters; executing a parameter-basedvariable generation process, the parameter-based variable generationprocess comprising, based on the one or more parameters within theparameter list, generating a variable pool comprising one or morevariables associated with the one or more parameters and one or morevalues associated with the one or more variables; executing aplugin-based variable generation process, the plugin-based variablegeneration process comprising: loading one or more plugins into a memorydevice, the one or more plugins comprising one or more plugin variables;and appending the one or more plugin variables to the variable pool; andbased on the parameter list and variable pool, initiating an artifactgeneration process.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation process comprises loading atemplate file into the memory device; detecting one or more variablenames within the template file; correlating the one or more variablesnames with the one or more variables in the variable pool; replacing theone or more variable names with the one or more values associated withthe one or more variables; and generating an artifact based on thetemplate file.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more command line parameters from a commandline; and appending the one or more command line parameters to theparameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter initialization process furthercomprises reading one or more default preset system parameters from oneor more configuration files; and appending the one or more defaultpreset system parameters to the parameter list.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting an unset value for a variable of the one or morevariables; and setting a default preset value for the variable.

In some embodiments, the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises detecting conditional logic within a template file; andgenerate a variable according to the conditional logic.

In some embodiments, one or more plugins may be configured to generateone or more variables comprising at least one of a table name, tabledescription, column descriptions, and column types. In otherembodiments, a plugin related to automated job creation may beconfigured to generate variables related to jobs and/or the job creationprocess, such as job components, breakdowns of job names, and the like.

The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may beachieved independently in various embodiments of the present inventionor may be combined with yet other embodiments, further details of whichcan be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an operating environment for the artifact generationsystem, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a process flow for automatically generatingartifacts, in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, theinvention may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like numbers refer to elements throughout. Wherepossible, any terms expressed in the singular form herein are meant toalso include the plural form and vice versa, unless explicitly statedotherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “a” and/or “an” shall mean“one or more,” even though the phrase “one or more” is also used herein.

“Entity” as used herein may refer to an individual or an organizationthat owns and/or operates an online system of networked computingdevices, systems, and/or peripheral devices on which the systemdescribed herein is implemented. The entity may be a businessorganization, a non-profit organization, a government organization, andthe like, which may routinely use various types of applications withinits enterprise environment to accomplish its organizational objectives.

“Entity system” as used herein may refer to the computing systems,devices, software, applications, communications hardware, and/or otherresources used by the entity to perform the functions as describedherein. Accordingly, the entity system may comprise desktop computers,laptop computers, servers, Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) devices, networkedterminals, mobile smartphones, smart devices (e.g., smart watches),network connections, and/or other types of computing systems or devicesand/or peripherals along with their associated applications.

“Computing system” or “computing device” as used herein may refer to anetworked computing device within the entity system. The computingsystem may include a processor, a non-transitory storage medium, acommunications device, and a display. The computing system may beconfigured to support user logins and inputs from any combination ofsimilar or disparate devices. Accordingly, the computing system may be aportable electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, single boardcomputer, smart device, or laptop. In other embodiments, the computingsystem may be a stationary unit such as a personal desktop computer,networked terminal, IoT device, or the like.

“User” as used herein may refer to an individual who may interact withthe entity system to access the functions therein. Accordingly, the usermay be an agent, employee, associate, contractor, or other authorizedparty who may access, use, administrate, maintain, and/or manage thecomputing systems within the entity system. In other embodiments, theuser may be a client or customer of the entity.

Accordingly, the term “user device” as used herein may refer to acomputing system that may be operated by the user, such as a desktopcomputer or workstation, laptop computer, or the like.

“Artifact” as used herein may refer to data and/or data files that maybe generated as a product of the artifact generation process asdescribed herein. For instance, in one embodiment, the generatedartifacts may be related to or associated with databases. Such artifactsmay be referred to herein as “database artifacts.” In such embodiments,artifacts may define how a certain database is organized or structured,how data is stored within the database, what calculations are performedon the data within the database, and the like. Accordingly, examples ofsuch artifacts may include configuration files, data definition files,scripts or jobs to be executed and/or installed, or the like. In otherembodiments, the artifacts may comprise computer-executable code and/orprograms that may perform one or more specified functions (e.g.,scheduling code, various application code components, data storeattributes/metadata such as names, data store object creation scripts,data type translations, and the like). In yet other embodiments, theartifacts may comprise communications to a user. Accordingly, it shouldbe understood that examples provided herein are for illustrativepurposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the types oruses of the artifacts that may be generated through the artifactgeneration process.

“Parameter” as used herein may refer to a data value that may relate toan artifact and/or the generation of said artifact. Examples ofparameters may include, the names of files to be loaded during theartifact generation process, values for project name, release name, orthe like. In some embodiments, a particular parameter may be associatedwith a variable, where “variable” as used herein may refer to a datavalue that may be changed during the artifact generation process. Inthis regard, a particular parameter may specify that its value should bestored within a particular variable.

“Templates” or “scheme templates” as used herein may refer to data filescontaining presets for defining content, format, and/or othercharacteristics of an artifact to be generated. For example, a templatemay contain presets for formatting data within the database (e.g.,within a table). In this regard, each template may comprise one or morevariables that may be replaced with generated values depending on theartifact to be generated. Templates may be user-defined to extend thefunctionality of the artifact generation engine according to the needsof the project and/or the artifact to be generated. “Scheme” as usedherein may refer to a grouping of templates. For instance, in someembodiments, a scheme may be one or more folders and/or subfolderscontaining template files to be used in the artifact generation process.

“Plugin” as used herein may refer to a selectable and/or swappablemodule that may extend the functionality of the system as describedherein. In this regard, plugins may comprise properties files that mayidentify or define parameters, configuration files containingparameters, instructions for processing parameters and/or generatingvariables, instructions for selecting templates and/or performingcertain functions and/or processes with respect to a particulartemplate, and the like. In some embodiments, plugins may furthercomprise executable code and/or instructions to provide extendedfunctionality to the artifact generation engine. For instance, suchexecutable code may contain conditional logic (e.g., if X, then Y) oradditional functions that may be absent from the core artifactgeneration engine (e.g., a number random generator).

An entity system may comprise a plurality of databases containing tablesand artifacts associated with each of the tables. In certain scenarios,it may be desirable to automatically generate the artifacts needed topopulate the tables (e.g., during table migration from one platform toanother). Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide asystem for automatically generating electronic artifacts using extendedfunctionality. In this regard, the system may comprise an artifactgeneration engine which may use templates in conjunction with plugins toretrieve the necessary parameters, generate the necessary variables, andgenerate artifacts by replacing designated fields or values within eachtemplate with the generated variables. By using plugins, the system mayprovide a scalable and flexible way to define new variables, provideextended functionality to the core artifact generation engine, and thelike.

The artifact generation process may begin with a parameterinitialization process through which parameters may be identified fromvarious sources within the network environment and added to a parameterlist. For instance, in addition to the parameters that may be built intothe artifact generation engine itself, the artifact generation enginemay further be configured to read one or more properties files, each ofwhich may contain various types of data and/or metadata regardingparameters to be initialized. In this regard, such data and/or metadataregarding the parameters may include parameter definitions, variablenames, preset values, parameter descriptions, relevant plugins and/orschemes, project names, and the like. Such properties files may begenerated, for instance, based on parameters defined according to aparticular application in use within the network environment. In someembodiments, the parameter initialization process may further comprisethe artifact generation engine reading parameters from various pluginsand/or command line parameters, and subsequently adding said parametersto the parameter list. For instance, the artifact generation engine mayread plugin properties files to initialize the plugin parameters.

In other embodiments, a configuration file may contain a line that callsfor the artifact generation engine to pull parameters from a specifiedplugin. In this regard, a line that reads “p=plugin” may define the“plugin” parameter. Subsequently, a line that reads “-p XYZ” may causethe artifact generation engine to recognize a plugin named “XYZ” andpull the parameters associated with the XYZ plugin.

Each properties file may be a text file including one or more lines foreach parameter defined. In an exemplary embodiment, a properties filemay contain a parameter definition line which reads “c=config” whichdefines the “config” parameter. Subsequently, when the artifactgeneration engine encounters a parameter specification line that reads“-c ABC” during the parameter processing phase, the artifact generationengine may recognize “ABC” as the name of a configuration file andthereafter process the “ABC” configuration file. Said properties filemay further contain a line which reads “u=%genuser%” that specifies that“%genuser%” is a variable name as denoted by a variable notation (e.g.,percent symbols). Subsequently, if the artifact generation engineencounters a line that reads “-u 123” during the parameter processingphase, the artifact generation engine may recognize “123” as a valuethat is to be stored in the “%genuser%” variable. In this way, aproperties file may define parameters by assigning values and/orassociating the parameters with certain variables used in the artifactgeneration process.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation engine may further initiatea variable generation process concurrently with the parameterinitialization process. In this regard, one parameter may specify avalue for a variable while the next parameter may specify a plugin to beused, which in turn causes said plugin to be called to define pluginparameters associated with said plugin.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation engine may populate thevariable pool based on one or more configuration files, where theconfiguration files may be text files comprising one or more parametersalong with their associated values and/or variables. Continuing theabove example, a configuration file may include an entry that reads “-uABC” which specifies that user ID “ABC” is to be stored in the % genuser% variable as defined above in a properties file. In some embodiments,the artifact generation engine may further use variables generated byone or more plugins. In this regard, once all parameters have beenprocessed, the artifact generation engine may call one or more pluginsto generate plugin-specific variables. In some embodiments, the variablegeneration process may further comprise setting preset values for anyparameters that have not been assigned a value. In other embodiments,the artifact generation engine may detect that a particular variablethat has been defined as “required” does not have a value associatedwith said variable. In such scenarios, the artifact generation enginemay terminate the artifact generation process.

Upon detecting that the parameters have been initialized and thevariables have been generated, the artifact generation engine maygenerate the artifact. In this regard, the artifact generation enginemay read all of the template files existing within a scheme folderand/or subfolder and replace the variables within each template filewith the appropriate values generated during the variable generationprocess. The variable replacement process may comprise the artifactgeneration engine scanning each template file to identify the variablenames (e.g., %genuser%), searching for the variable names within thevariable pool, and replacing the variable name in the template file withthe variable's value as defined in the variable pool.

In some embodiments, the artifact generation engine may supportconditional generation of artifacts. In this regard, the artifactgeneration engine may be configured to recognize conditional operators(e.g., IF, ELSE, FOR, and the like). In an exemplary embodiment, atemplate file may conditionally generate an artifact according to afirst set of code upon detecting that user ABC has initiated theartifact generation process (e.g., %IF% %genuser%==“ABC”), whilegenerating the artifact according to a second set of code upon detectingthat a user other than ABC has initiated the artifact generation process(e.g., %ELSE%), where the first set of code and second set of code maybe separated by conditional operators IF and ELSE.

In some embodiments, a template file may comprise an ITERATE operatorwhich may cause the artifact generation engine to iterate through listvariables. “List variable” as used herein may refer to a variablecomprising a list of values associated with said variable (e.g., thelist variable USERNAME may comprise a list of values for usernames). Inthis regard, an iterative process may be executed for each elementclassified under a particular variable name. To illustrate, the listvariables %CLIENTNAME%, %CLIENTADDRESS%, %CLIENTCITY%, %CLIENTSTATE%,and %CLIENTZIPCODE% may be associated the variable %CLIENTS%, where the%CLIENTS% variable may be defined as an index for said list variables.Each list variable may contain 10 values (e.g., %CLIENTCITY% may contain10 values for city names).

If ITERATE is called with respect to a particular list variable (e.g.,%CLIENTNAME%), the artifact generation engine may iterate over thenumber of values within the specified list variable (e.g., 10 times inthe foregoing example) such that the nth value within the list variablewill be made available for variable substitution. On the other hand, ifITERATE is called with respect to an index (e.g., %CLIENTS%), theiterative process will be executed for each of the list variablesassociated with the index according to the number of values within thelist variables. For instance, if each list variable contains 10 values,the iterative process will be executed 10 times such that the 5 listvariables associated with %CLIENTS% will have their respective nthvalues made available for variable substitution.

The artifact generation engine may further be configured to recognizeother types of commands from template files. For instance, the SETcommand may be used to define new variables and set variable values,whereas the UNSET command may be used to remove variables defined by theSET command. The COUNT function may return the number of elementsassociated with a particular variable name. For instance, if there arethree elements associated with variable %INDEXNAME%, then the COUNTfunction will return the value “3” when called with respect to%INDEXNAME%. The DEFINED function may return a 0 or 1 (e.g., FALSE ORTRUE) to indicate whether a particular variable has been defined. TheEXTRACT and REPLACE functions may allow for a portion of a variable'svalue to be output and/or replaced. It should be understood that theforegoing examples of functions are provided for illustrative purposesand are not intended to be an exclusive list of functions supported bythe artifact generation engine. For instance, additional functions maybe supported by the artifact generation engine through the use ofplugins.

The system as described herein confers a number of technologicaladvantages over conventional artifact generation methods. In particular,using the automated parameter initialization and variable generationprocesses as described herein, the system may efficiently andautomatically generate artifacts that may be used in numerous differentenvironments (e.g., production environment, testing environment, and thelike) in a manner that is not possible by manual means. Furthermore, themodularity associated with incorporating code, parameters, and variablesfrom external plugins provides a way to add extended functionality tothe core artifact generation engine, which in turn provides asignificant flexibility advantage in generating artifacts.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an operating environment100 for the artifact generation system, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1 illustratesan artifact generation computing system 101 that is operatively coupled,via a network, to a source database computing system 102 and/or a targetdatabase computing system 103. In such a configuration, the artifactgeneration computing system 101 may transmit information to and/orreceive information from the source database computing system 102 and/orthe target database computing system 103. It should be understood thatFIG. 1 illustrates only an exemplary embodiment of the operatingenvironment 100, and it will be appreciated that the operatingenvironment 100 may comprise a fewer or greater number of computingsystems and/or devices than are depicted in FIG. 1 . For example, thoughthe FIG. 1 depicts a single source database computing system 102, theoperating environment 100 may comprise multiple source databasecomputing systems within the network environment. It should also beunderstood that one or more functions of the systems, devices, orservers as depicted in FIG. 1 may be combined into a single system,device, or server. For instance, in some embodiments, the sourcedatabase computing system 102 and the target database computing system103 may be the same computing system. Furthermore, a single system,device, or server as depicted in FIG. 1 may represent multiple systems,devices, or servers. For instance, though the artifact generationcomputing system 101 is depicted as a single unit, the functions of theartifact generation computing system 101 may be executed in adistributed manner across multiple computing systems.

The network may be a system specific distributive network receiving anddistributing specific network feeds and identifying specific networkassociated triggers. The network may include one or more cellular radiotowers, antennae, cell sites, base stations, telephone networks, cloudnetworks, radio access networks (RAN), WiFi networks, or the like.Additionally, the network may also include a global area network (GAN),such as the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network(LAN), or any other type of network or combination of networks.Accordingly, the network may provide for wireline, wireless, or acombination wireline and wireless communication between devices on thenetwork.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the artifact generation computing system 101may be a computing device that may perform the parameter initialization,variable generation, and artifact generation functions as describedelsewhere herein. Accordingly, the artifact generation computing system101 may be a device such as server or networked terminal, though it iswithin the scope of the disclosure for the artifact generation computingsystem 101 to be a desktop computer, laptop, IoT device, smartphone,tablet, single-board computer, or the like. In some embodiments, a user104 may operate the artifact generation computing system 101 to specifyartifacts to be generated, initiate the artifact generation process, orthe like. In this regard, the artifact generation computing system 101may comprise a user interface comprising one or more input devices(e.g., a keyboard, keypad, microphone, mouse, tracking device, biometricreaders, capacitive sensors, or the like) for receiving input from theuser 104 and/or output devices (e.g., a display such as a monitor,projector, headset, touchscreen, and/or auditory output devices such asspeakers, headphones, or the like) for providing outputs to the user104.

As used herein, the term “processing device” generally includescircuitry used for implementing the communication and/or logic functionsof the particular system. For example, a processing device may include adigital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and variousanalog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and othersupport circuits and/or combinations of the foregoing. Control andsignal processing functions of the system are allocated between theseprocessing devices according to their respective capabilities. Theprocessing device may include functionality to operate one or moresoftware programs based on computer-readable instructions thereof, whichmay be stored in a memory device.

The processing device 114 of the artifact generation computing system101 may use the communication device 112 to communicate with the networkand other devices on the network, such as, but not limited to the sourcedatabase computing system 102 and/or the target database computingsystem 103. The communication device 112 generally comprises a modem,antennae, WiFi or Ethernet adapter, radio transceiver, or other devicefor communicating with other devices on the network.

The computer-readable instructions 120 may comprise an artifactgeneration engine 122, which may comprise computer-executable programcode which may instruct the processing device 114 to perform certainlogic, data processing, and data storing functions of the application toaccomplish the entity's objectives. For instance, the artifactgeneration engine 122 may read information from the source databasecomputing system 102 (e.g., table data and/or metadata, running jobs,and the like), execute the artifact generation process, and transmit theoutputs of the artifact generation process to the target databasecomputing system 103 for storage. In some embodiments, the artifactgeneration engine 122 may be configured to read commands from a commandline (e.g., commands inputted by the user 104 into an interface of theartifact generation computing system 101).

In some embodiments, the memory device 116 includes data storage 118 forstoring data related to the system environment. In this regard, the datastorage 118 may comprise an artifact data store 124. The artifact datastore 124 may comprise the various types of data and/or metadata used bythe artifact generation engine 122 to execute the artifact generationprocess. Accordingly, the artifact data store 124 may compriseproperties files, configuration files, plugin data, template files,schemes, and the like. It should be understood that in some embodiments,the foregoing types of data may be additionally or alternatively storedwithin the source database computing system 102 and/or the targetdatabase computing system 103.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1 , the operating environment 100 mayfurther comprise a source database computing system 102 in operativecommunication with the artifact generation computing system 101. Thesource database computing system 102 may be, for instance, a serverhosting one or more tables along with their associated data and/ormetadata, which in turn may be used to generate one or more artifactsthrough the artifact generation engine 122. Accordingly, the sourcedatabase computing system 102 may comprise a processing device 134operatively coupled to a communication device 132 and a memory device136 having data storage 138 and computer readable instructions 140stored thereon.

The data storage 138 of the source database computing system 102 maycomprise a source database 144. The source database 144 may comprise oneor more tables containing data to be migrated to a target destination(e.g., the target database computing system 103). Accordingly, theartifact generation computing system 101 may read table data (e.g., thedata stored within the tables, such as job data) along with tablemetadata (e.g., column names, column types, table descriptions, tablestructure, and the like), to generate artifacts.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1 , the operating environment 100 mayfurther comprise a target database computing system 103 in operativecommunication with the artifact generation computing system 101. Thetarget database computing system 103 may be, for instance, a serverwhich may be the storage location of artifacts generated by the artifactgeneration engine 122. Accordingly, the target database computing system103 may comprise a processing device 154 operatively coupled to acommunication device 152 and a memory device 156 having data storage 158and computer readable instructions 160 stored thereon. It should beunderstood that in some embodiments, the target database computingsystem 103 may be the source database computing system 102 (e.g., thefinal outputs of the artifact generation process may be stored withinthe source database computing system 102).

The data storage 158 of the target database computing system 103 maycomprise a target database 164. The target database 164 may comprise oneor more tables in which the artifacts generated by the artifactgeneration engine 122 may be stored. Accordingly, the artifactgeneration engine 122 may be configured to transfer the outputs of theartifact generation process to the target database 164 of the targetdatabase computing system 103.

The communication devices as described herein may comprise a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN) such as WiFi based on the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards, Bluetoothshort-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHzor other wireless access technology. Alternatively, or in addition tothe wireless interface, the computing systems may also include acommunication interface device that may be connected by a hardwireconnection to the resource distribution device. The interface device maycomprise a connector such as a USB, SATA, PATA, SAS or other dataconnector for transmitting data to and from the respective computingsystem.

The computing systems described herein may each further include aprocessing device communicably coupled to devices as a memory device,output devices, input devices, a network interface, a power source, aclock or other timer, a camera, a positioning system device, agyroscopic device, one or more chips, and the like.

In some embodiments, the computing systems may access one or moredatabases or datastores (not shown) to search for and/or retrieveinformation related to the service provided by the entity. The computingsystems may also access a memory and/or datastore local to the variouscomputing systems within the operating environment 100.

The processing devices as described herein may include functionality tooperate one or more software programs or applications, which may bestored in the memory device. For example, a processing device may becapable of operating a connectivity program, such as a web browserapplication. In this way, the computing systems may transmit and receiveweb content, such as, for example, product valuation, serviceagreements, location-based content, and/or other web page content,according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP), and/or the like.

A processing device may also be capable of operating applications. Theapplications may be downloaded from a server and stored in the memorydevice of the computing systems. Alternatively, the applications may bepre-installed and stored in a memory in a chip.

The chip may include the necessary circuitry to provide integrationwithin the devices depicted herein. Generally, the chip will includedata storage which may include data associated with the service that thecomputing systems may be communicably associated therewith. The chipand/or data storage may be an integrated circuit, a microprocessor, asystem-on-a-chip, a microcontroller, or the like. In this way, the chipmay include data storage. Of note, it will be apparent to those skilledin the art that the chip functionality may be incorporated within otherelements in the devices. For instance, the functionality of the chip maybe incorporated within the memory device and/or the processing device.In a particular embodiment, the functionality of the chip isincorporated in an element within the devices. Still further, the chipfunctionality may be included in a removable storage device such as anSD card or the like.

A processing device may be configured to use the network interface tocommunicate with one or more other devices on a network. In this regard,the network interface may include an antenna operatively coupled to atransmitter and a receiver (together a “transceiver”). The processingdevice may be configured to provide signals to and receive signals fromthe transmitter and receiver, respectively. The signals may includesignaling information in accordance with the air interface standard ofthe applicable cellular system of the wireless telephone network thatmay be part of the network. In this regard, the computing systems may beconfigured to operate with one or more air interface standards,communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way ofillustration, the devices may be configured to operate in accordancewith any of a number of first, second, third, fourth, and/orfifth-generation communication protocols and/or the like. For example,the computing systems may be configured to operate in accordance withsecond-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (timedivision multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system for mobilecommunication), and/or IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)), orwith third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such asUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, widebandCDMA (WCDMA) and/or time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), withfourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols, withfifth-generation (5G) wireless communication protocols, or the like. Thedevices may also be configured to operate in accordance withnon-cellular communication mechanisms, such as via a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) or other communication/data networks.

The network interface may also include an application interface in orderto allow a user or service provider to execute some or all of theabove-described processes. The application interface may have access tothe hardware, e.g., the transceiver, and software previously describedwith respect to the network interface. Furthermore, the applicationinterface may have the ability to connect to and communicate with anexternal data storage on a separate system within the network.

The devices may have an interface that includes user output devicesand/or input devices. The output devices may include a display (e.g., aliquid crystal display (LCD) or the like) and a speaker or other audiodevice, which are operatively coupled to the processing device. Theinput devices, which may allow the devices to receive data from a user,may include any of a number of devices allowing the devices to receivedata from a user, such as a keypad, keyboard, touch-screen, touchpad,microphone, mouse, joystick, other pointer device, button, soft key,and/or other input device(s).

The devices may further include a power source. Generally, the powersource is a device that supplies electrical energy to an electricalload. In some embodiment, power source may convert a form of energy suchas solar energy, chemical energy, mechanical energy, or the like toelectrical energy. Generally, the power source may be a battery, such asa lithium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or the like, that isused for powering various circuits, e.g., the transceiver circuit, andother devices that are used to operate the devices. Alternatively, thepower source may be a power adapter that can connect a power supply froma power outlet to the devices. In such embodiments, a power adapter maybe classified as a power source “in” the devices.

As described above, the computing devices as shown in FIG. 1 may alsoinclude a memory device operatively coupled to the processing device. Asused herein, “memory” may include any computer readable mediumconfigured to store data, code, or other information. The memory devicemay include volatile memory, such as volatile Random-Access Memory (RAM)including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The memorydevice may also include non-volatile memory, which can be embeddedand/or may be removable. The non-volatile memory may additionally oralternatively include an electrically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM), flash memory or the like.

The memory device may store any of a number of applications or programswhich comprise computer-executable instructions/code executed by theprocessing device to implement the functions of the devices describedherein.

The computing systems may further comprise a gyroscopic device. Thepositioning system, input device, and the gyroscopic device may be usedin correlation to identify phases within a service term.

Each computing system may also have a control system for controlling thephysical operation of the device. The control system may comprise one ormore sensors for detecting operating conditions of the variousmechanical and electrical systems that comprise the computing systems orof the environment in which the computing systems are used. The sensorsmay communicate with the processing device to provide feedback to theoperating systems of the device. The control system may also comprisemetering devices for measuring performance characteristics of thecomputing systems. The control system may also comprise controllers suchas programmable logic controllers (PLC), proportional integralderivative controllers (PID) or other machine controllers. The computingsystems may also comprise various electrical, mechanical, hydraulic orother systems that perform various functions of the computing systems.These systems may comprise, for example, electrical circuits, motors,compressors, or any system that enables functioning of the computingsystems.

FIG. 2 illustrates a process flow 200 for automatically generatingartifacts, in accordance with some embodiments. The process begins atblock 201, where the system executes a parameter initialization process.The parameter initialization process may read various types of inputfiles to define the parameters to be used in the artifact generationprocess. In this regard, in one embodiment, the parameter initializationprocess may comprise 1) reading one or more parameters from one or moreproperties files; and 2) generating a parameter list comprising the oneor more parameters. The properties files may include parameters definedby one or more applications from within the network environment and/ordefault preset system parameters (e.g., from configuration files). Theconfiguration files may contain one or more parameters to be processedby the parameter engine. In this regard, different configuration filesmay be used depending on the type of artifact to be generated. Forinstance, different types of artifacts may be generated based on thetype of environment into which the artifact is to be deployed. In thisregard, the system may be configured to select a configuration fileassociated with the target environment (e.g., a production environment,user acceptance testing environment, or the like). Additional parametersmay further be processed by defining the parameters in a command lineentry.

In some embodiments, certain parameters may be a core part of theartifact generation engine. In such scenarios, the parameters may bedefined using specific values as enumerated in the properties file. Inother embodiments, a parameter's value may be linked to a specificvariable. In such scenarios, the parameter may be defined using avariable name associated with the variable with which the parameter isto be associated. In yet other embodiments, certain parameters may bedefined by plugins. In this regard, each plugin may comprise readablecode that may be processed to initialize additional parameters.

The process continues to block 202, where the system executes aparameter-based variable generation process comprising, based on the oneor more parameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables. At this stage, the system may generate a list of variablesfrom the various parameters initialized in the previous step (e.g., byreading command line parameters and/or configuration files). If aparameter is associated with a variable, the system may add the value tothe variable pool.

The process continues to block 203, where the system executes aplugin-based variable generation process. At this stage, the system mayload each plugin such that each plugin may define its own sets ofvariables. Accordingly, the plugin-based variable generation process maycomprise 1) loading one or more plugins into the memory, the one or moreplugins comprising one or more plugin variables; and 2) appending theone or more plugin variables to the variable pool. In an exemplaryembodiment, the system may load a “database” plugin which may definevariables associated with the particular database and/or environmentfrom which the assets resources are to be created. In this regard, thedatabase plugin may define variables such as a table name, tabledescription, column descriptions, column types, information securityclassifications, and the like.

The process concludes at block 204, where the system, based on theparameter list and variable pool, initiates an artifact generationprocess. At this stage, the system may process each template file withina scheme folder and/or its subfolders and replace the variable names ineach template file with the values associated with the variable name asidentified in the variable pool. The artifact generation engine may reada template file line-by-line to process the code defined therein. Inthis regard, the template file may contain conditional statements and/oroperators, function calls, and the like. Accordingly, the artifactgeneration process may comprise 1) loading a template file into thememory; 2) detecting one or more variable names within the templatefile; 3) correlating the one or more variable names with the one or morevariables in the variable pool; 4) replacing the one or more variablenames with the one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; and 5) generating an artifact based on the template file. Theartifact files may be generated in a manner that is appropriate for theenvironment in which the artifact files are to be stored. For example,the artifact files may be output in a “flat configuration” such that theartifact files are stored within a single directory. In otherembodiments, the artifact files may be stored according to the samedirectory structure as was used in the scheme. In this manner, thesystem may provide an extensible, expedient, and consistent manner togenerate artifacts.

Each communication interface described herein generally includeshardware, and, in some instances, software, that enables the computersystem, to transport, send, receive, and/or otherwise communicateinformation to and/or from the communication interface of one or moreother systems on the network. For example, the communication interfaceof the user input system may include a wireless transceiver, modem,server, electrical connection, and/or other electronic device thatoperatively connects the user input system to another system. Thewireless transceiver may include a radio circuit to enable wirelesstransmission and reception of information.

As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the presentinvention may be embodied as an apparatus (including, for example, asystem, a machine, a device, a computer program product, and/or thelike), as a method (including, for example, a business process, acomputer-implemented process, and/or the like), or as any combination ofthe foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention maytake the form of an entirely software embodiment (including firmware,resident software, micro-code, and the like), an entirely hardwareembodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspectsthat may generally be referred to herein as a “system.” Furthermore,embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computerprogram product that includes a computer-readable storage medium havingcomputer-executable program code portions stored therein.

As the phrase is used herein, a processor may be “configured to” performa certain function in a variety of ways, including, for example, byhaving one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function byexecuting particular computer-executable program code embodied incomputer-readable medium, and/or by having one or moreapplication-specific circuits perform the function.

It will be understood that any suitable computer-readable medium may beutilized. The computer-readable medium may include, but is not limitedto, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a tangibleelectronic, magnetic, optical, infrared, electromagnetic, and/orsemiconductor system, apparatus, and/or device. For example, in someembodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes atangible medium such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM or Flash memory), a compact discread-only memory (CD-ROM), and/or some other tangible optical and/ormagnetic storage device. In other embodiments of the present invention,however, the computer-readable medium may be transitory, such as apropagation signal including computer-executable program code portionsembodied therein.

It will also be understood that one or more computer-executable programcode portions for carrying out the specialized operations of the presentinvention may be required on the specialized computer includeobject-oriented, scripted, and/or unscripted programming languages, suchas, for example, Java, Perl, Smalltalk, C++, SAS, SQL, Python, ObjectiveC, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the one or morecomputer-executable program code portions for carrying out operations ofembodiments of the present invention are written in conventionalprocedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming languagesand/or similar programming languages. The computer program code mayalternatively or additionally be written in one or more multi-paradigmprogramming languages, such as, for example, F#.

Embodiments of the present invention are described above with referenceto flowcharts and/or block diagrams. It will be understood that steps ofthe processes described herein may be performed in orders different thanthose illustrated in the flowcharts. In other words, the processesrepresented by the blocks of a flowchart may, in some embodiments, be inperformed in an order other that the order illustrated, may be combinedor divided, or may be performed simultaneously. It will also beunderstood that the blocks of the block diagrams illustrated, in someembodiments, merely conceptual delineations between systems and one ormore of the systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams may becombined or share hardware and/or software with another one or more ofthe systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams. Likewise, adevice, system, apparatus, and/or the like may be made up of one or moredevices, systems, apparatuses, and/or the like. For example, where aprocessor is illustrated or described herein, the processor may be madeup of a plurality of microprocessors or other processing devices whichmay or may not be coupled to one another. Likewise, where a memory isillustrated or described herein, the memory may be made up of aplurality of memory devices which may or may not be coupled to oneanother.

It will also be understood that the one or more computer-executableprogram code portions may be stored in a transitory or non-transitorycomputer-readable medium (e.g., a memory, and the like) that can directa computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus tofunction in a particular manner, such that the computer-executableprogram code portions stored in the computer-readable medium produce anarticle of manufacture, including instruction mechanisms which implementthe steps and/or functions specified in the flowchart(s) and/or blockdiagram block(s).

The one or more computer-executable program code portions may also beloaded onto a computer and/or other programmable data processingapparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on thecomputer and/or other programmable apparatus. In some embodiments, thisproduces a computer-implemented process such that the one or morecomputer-executable program code portions which execute on the computerand/or other programmable apparatus provide operational steps toimplement the steps specified in the flowchart(s) and/or the functionsspecified in the block diagram block(s). Alternatively,computer-implemented steps may be combined with operator and/orhuman-implemented steps in order to carry out an embodiment of thepresent invention.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments aremerely illustrative of, and not restrictive on, the broad invention, andthat this invention not be limited to the specific constructions andarrangements shown and described, since various other changes,combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition tothose set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled inthe art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications ofthe just described embodiments can be configured without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understoodthat, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed other than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatically generating electronicartifacts using extended functionality, the system comprising: a memorydevice with computer-readable program code stored thereon; acommunication device; and a processing device operatively coupled to thememory device and the communication device, wherein the processingdevice is configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:execute a parameter initialization process, the parameter initializationprocess comprising: reading one or more parameters from one or moreproperties files, wherein the one or more properties files comprisesparameter definitions and parameter descriptions; and generating aparameter list comprising the one or more parameters; execute aparameter-based variable generation process, the parameter-basedvariable generation process comprising, based on the one or moreparameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; execute a plugin-based variable generation process, theplugin-based variable generation process comprising: loading one or moreplugins into the memory device; appending one or more plugin parametersto the parameter list, wherein the one or more plugin parameters directgeneration of one or more plugin variables; appending the one or moreplugin variables to the variable pool; and based on the parameter listand variable pool, initiate an artifact generation process, wherein theartifact generation process comprises: loading a template file into thememory device; detecting one or more variable names within the templatefile; correlating the one or more variables names with the one or morevariables in the variable pool; replacing the one or more variable nameswithin the template file with the one or more values associated with theone or more variables, wherein replacing the one or more variable nameswithin the template file with the one or more values associated with theone or more variables further comprises;  detecting that the templatefile comprises an iterate operator associated with an index for one ormore list variables, wherein each of the one or more list variablescomprises a plurality of values, wherein the iterate operator specifiesan nth position within each of the one or more list variables;  based ondetecting the iterate operator, iterate through the plurality of valuesof each of the list variables based on the nth position of each of theone or more list variables; and  selecting an nth value within each ofthe list variables for variable substitution; initiating an artifactgeneration process based on the template file, wherein the artifactgeneration process comprises 1) generating the artifact according to afirst set of code upon detecting that a first user has initiated theartifact generation process; and 2) generating the artifact according toa second set of code upon detecting that a second user has initiated theartifact generation process; detecting that a required variable does nothave an associated value; and terminating the artifact generationprocess.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the parameterinitialization process further comprises: reading one or more commandline parameters from a command line; and at least one of: appending theone or more command line parameters to the parameter list; populatingone or more variable values; loading one or more plugins; or processingparameters from one or more configuration files.
 3. The system accordingto claim 1, wherein the parameter initialization process furthercomprises: reading one or more preset system parameters from one or moreconfiguration files; and at least one of: appending the one or morepreset system parameters to the parameter list; populating one or morevariable values; loading one or more plugins; or processing parametersfrom one or more configuration files.
 4. The system according to claim1, wherein the parameter-based variable generation process comprises:detecting an unset value for a variable of the one or more variables;and removing the variable and one or more values associated with thevariable from the variable pool.
 5. The system according to claim 1,wherein the parameter-based variable generation process comprises:detecting conditional logic within a template file; and generate anartifact according to the conditional logic.
 6. The system according toclaim 1, wherein the one or more variables comprises at least one of atable name, table description, column descriptions, and column types. 7.A computer program product for automatically generating electronicartifacts using extended functionality, the computer program productcomprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium havingcomputer-readable program code portions embodied therein, thecomputer-readable program code portions comprising executable codeportions for: executing a parameter initialization process, theparameter initialization process comprising: reading one or moreparameters from one or more properties files, wherein the one or moreproperties files comprises parameter definitions and parameterdescriptions; and generating a parameter list comprising the one or moreparameters; executing a parameter-based variable generation process, theparameter-based variable generation process comprising, based on the oneor more parameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; executing a plugin-based variable generation process, theplugin-based variable generation process comprising: loading one or moreplugins into a memory device; appending one or more plugin parameters tothe parameter list, wherein the one or more plugin parameters directgeneration of one or more plugin variables; appending the one or moreplugin variables to the variable pool; and based on the parameter listand variable pool, initiating an artifact generation process, whereinthe artifact generation process comprises: loading a template file intothe memory device; detecting one or more variable names within thetemplate file; correlating the one or more variables names with the oneor more variables in the variable pool; replacing the one or morevariable names within the template file with the one or more valuesassociated with the one or more variables, wherein replacing the one ormore variable names within the template file with the one or more valuesassociated with the one or more variables further comprises; detectingthat the template file comprises an iterate operator associated with anindex for one or more list variables, wherein each of the one or morelist variables comprises a plurality of values, wherein the iterateoperator specifies an nth position within each of the one or more listvariables; based on detecting the iterate operator, iterate through theplurality of values of each of the list variables based on the nthposition of each of the one or more list variables; and selecting an nthvalue within each of the list variables for variable substitution;initiating an artifact generation process based on the template file,wherein the artifact generation process comprises 1) generating theartifact according to a first set of code upon detecting that a firstuser has initiated the artifact generation process; and 2) generatingthe artifact according to a second set of code upon detecting that asecond user has initiated the artifact generation process; detectingthat a required variable does not have an associated value; andterminating the artifact generation process.
 8. The computer programproduct according to claim 7, wherein the parameter initializationprocess further comprises: reading one or more command line parametersfrom a command line; and at least one of: appending the one or morecommand line parameters to the parameter list; populating one or morevariable values; loading one or more plugins; or processing parametersfrom one or more configuration files.
 9. The computer program productaccording to claim 7, wherein the parameter initialization processfurther comprises: reading one or more preset system parameters from oneor more configuration files; and at least one of: appending the one ormore preset system parameters to the parameter list; populating one ormore variable values; loading one or more plugins; or processingparameters from one or more configuration files.
 10. The computerprogram product according to claim 7, wherein the parameter-basedvariable generation process comprises: detecting an unset value for avariable of the one or more variables; and removing the variable and oneor more values associated with the variable from the variable pool. 11.The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein theparameter-based variable generation process comprises: detectingconditional logic within a template file; and generate an artifactaccording to the conditional logic.
 12. A computer-implemented methodfor automatically generating electronic artifacts using extendedfunctionality, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:executing a parameter initialization process, the parameterinitialization process comprising: reading one or more parameters fromone or more properties files, wherein the one or more properties filescomprises parameter definitions and parameter descriptions; andgenerating a parameter list comprising the one or more parameters;executing a parameter-based variable generation process, theparameter-based variable generation process comprising, based on the oneor more parameters within the parameter list, generating a variable poolcomprising one or more variables associated with the one or moreparameters and one or more values associated with the one or morevariables; executing a plugin-based variable generation process, theplugin-based variable generation process comprising: loading one or moreplugins into a memory device; appending one or more plugin parameters tothe parameter list, wherein the one or more plugin parameters directgeneration of one or more plugin variables; appending the one or moreplugin variables to the variable pool; and based on the parameter listand variable pool, initiating an artifact generation process, whereinthe artifact generation process comprises: loading a template file intothe memory device; detecting one or more variable names within thetemplate file; correlating the one or more variables names with the oneor more variables in the variable pool; replacing the one or morevariable names within the template file with the one or more valuesassociated with the one or more variables, wherein replacing the one ormore variable names within the template file with the one or more valuesassociated with the one or more variables further comprises; detectingthat the template file comprises an iterate operator associated with anindex for one or more list variables, wherein each of the one or morelist variables comprises a plurality of values, wherein the iterateoperator specifies an nth position within each of the one or more listvariables; based on detecting the iterate operator, iterate through theplurality of values of each of the list variables based on the nthposition of each of the one or more list variables; and selecting an nthvalue within each of the list variables for variable substitution;initiating an artifact generation process based on the template file,wherein the artifact generation process comprises 1) generating theartifact according to a first set of code upon detecting that a firstuser has initiated the artifact generation process; and 2) generatingthe artifact according to a second set of code upon detecting that asecond user has initiated the artifact generation process; detectingthat a required variable does not have an associated value; andterminating the artifact generation process.
 13. Thecomputer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the parameterinitialization process further comprises: reading one or more commandline parameters from a command line; and at least one of: appending theone or more command line parameters to the parameter list; populatingone or more variable values; loading one or more plugins; or processingparameters from one or more configuration files.
 14. Thecomputer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the parameterinitialization process further comprises: reading one or more presetsystem parameters from one or more configuration files; and at least oneof: appending the one or more preset system parameters to the parameterlist; populating one or more variable values; loading one or moreplugins; or processing parameters from one or more configuration files.15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein theparameter-based variable generation process comprises: detecting anunset value for a variable of the one or more variables; and removingthe variable and one or more values associated with the variable fromthe variable pool.
 16. The computer-implemented method according toclaim 12, wherein the parameter-based variable generation processcomprises: detecting conditional logic within a template file; andgenerate an artifact according to the conditional logic.
 17. Thecomputer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the one ormore variables comprises at least one of a table name, tabledescription, column descriptions, and column types.